September 18, 1910 - Ernie "Pug" Rentner was a former halfback and quarterback from Northwestern University. Pug Rentner was a dual threat. His powerful lower body and graceful control allowed him to slash through would-be tacklers. Pug's strong arm and large hands allowed him to rifle passes of 60 yards or more through the air with uncanny accuracy. Offensive play was not his only talent though, as he was known to reel off long return yards on punts, kicks and interceptions. The 1931 Wildcat's football team was special as they defeated every opponent they played. It looked like they might go undefeated, and had one game remaining, a charity contest with Purdue University. The Wildcats were heavily favored in the game, but the night prior to the contest several members of the Northwestern team were involved in an elevator accident. Though no one was injured, the team was shook, and Purdue capitalized on the less than stellar play by the Cats and gave Northwestern its only loss of the season. After the 1931 season Ernie was selected to the College Football All-American team. After college, Rentner played professional football for both the Boston Redskins and the Chicago Bears. The National Football Foundation selected him to enter the corridors of the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
September 18, 1926 - Skip Minisi was a former halfback that played for the University of Pennsylvania and for the Navy Midshipmen football programs in the mid 1940's. Skip played for the Penn Quakers in 1944, and then while serving his country in World War II played the 1945 as a member of the Naval Academy football team. Minisi after his service returned to his studies at the University of Pennsylvania and competed for the Quakers once again in 1946 and 1947. Minisi's impact was almost immediate in '44 as he aided the Quakers in an improbable victory over the strong Duke Blue Devils by his fine play. That same season the underclassmen completed a 69 yard pick-six against Dartmouth College, and in the Michigan game tore off a 67 yard touchdown run. In 1945 as a Midshipmen player he helped disrail his beloved Penn team by catching a last minute pass from Navy QB Tom Hamilton to give the Middies a 14-7 victory over the Quakers. That had to be bitter sweet for many in the stadium that day! But the very next season, in 1946, Minisi back in a Quaker uniform was instrumental in a victory over his former Navy teammates. Wow what a rollercoaster of events! After college Skip went into the practice of law in the Philadelphia area and in his spare time headed up the Eastern Association of Intercollegiate Football Officials. Skip Minisi was enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
September 18, 1955 - Billy Sims was a former running back from the University of Oklahoma. As a freshman reserve, Billy was a part of Oklahoma's National Championship team of 1975. An early season injury derailed his participation in the 1976 season but because of so few minutes logged that year, the NCAA granted Sims an extra year of eligibility. Did Billy Simms ever make that extra time count. With hard work in rehab and recuperation Sims turned into a superstar college football running back. In 1978 he banged out 1762 yards on the ground and came back in 1979 with over 1500 yards rushed. He combined to find the endzone 42 times in his junior and senior seasons and earned the Associated Press and United Press International's Player of the Year honors in 1978 and was awarded the Heisman Trophy. After the 1979 season he took second in Heisman voting to USC's standout rusher Charles White. The Detroit Lions drafted Billy in 1979's NFL Draft and he played in the Motor City for four seasons until he suffered a career ending knee injury. Billy Sims was invited into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
